Trunk lid or the like for automobile



May 24, 1955 w. s. EGGERT, JR

TRUNK LID OR THE LIKE FOR AUTOMOBILE Filed July 11, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR.

Walter S. Eqqert, Jr. BY

WQ.M

ATTORNEY May 24, 1955 W. S. EGG ERT, JR TRUNK LID OR THE LIKE FOR AUTOMOBILE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 11, 1951 INVENTOR.

Walter S. Egqe t Jr: W CLWL FIGLH A TTORNE) y 1955 w. s. EGGERT, JR 2,709,108

TRUNK LID OR THE LIKE FOR AUTOMOBILE Filed July 11. 1951 s Shoots-Sheet s FIE/.15

INVENTOR- By Walter S.Eggerf,Jr:

WQM

ATTORNEY United States Patent TRUNK LID OR THE LIKE FOR AUTOMOBILE Walter S. Eggert, In, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to The Budd Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 11, 1951, Serial No. 236,182

8 Claims. (Cl. 296-76) The invention relates to trunk lids for automobile and similar cover members consisting of an outer panel and an interior reinforcing structure.

The main objects of the invention are reduction in cost and weight of the lid assembly without sacrifice in strength and rigidity. i

These objects and other advantages are achieved by dispensing with the customary inner frame coextensive with the outer panel and by replacing such frame by a generally Yshaped reinforcement resembling a wishbone. The ends of the two legs of this structure reinforce the lid in the hinge attachment zones, while the stem portion reinforces the lid in the lock region. The stem portion is preferably supplemented by a cross-piece extending along the lower edge of the lid.

Two embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawing, in which:

Fig. l is an inside elevation of a sheet metal trunk lid;

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the stampings forming the wishbone reinforcement;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view on a larger scale, fragmentarily sectionalized, seen about from line 3-3 of Fig. l in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view on the scale of Fig. 3 of the region surrounded in Fig. l by dot-and-dash line 4;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the lid viewed in the direction of the arrows 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section along line 6--6 of Fig. 3;

Figs. 7 and 8 are fragmentary sections on a larger scale along the correspondingly numbered lines of Fig. 1;

Figs. 9, 10, and 11 are fragmentary sections along the correspondingly numbered lines of Fig. 4;

Figs. 12 and 13 are fragmentary sections, on a larger scale, along the correspondingly numbered lines of Fig. 1;

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary section along line 14-14 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 15 is a small scale plane view of sheet stock and of blanks stamped out of it;

Fig. 16 is an inside perspective of a trunk lid illustrating a second embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 17 is a fragmentary section on a larger scale along line 171'7 of Fig. 16.

The trunk lid illustrated in Figs. 1 to 14 has an outer panel 24) of generally quadrilateral shape which may, however, have any other desired configuration. This panel is marginally reinforced all around by an anglesection flange having an inwardly directed leg 21 and a return bent leg 22. Sound-deadening composition 23 is applied to the inner surface of panel 20, as customary. The inner reinforcement consists mainly of two separately manufactured stampings 24, 25.

Stamping 24 has the form of a wishbone or of a V, comprising two elongated arms or legs 26 and a stem portion 27. Legs 26 are generally of U-section facing with the open side toward panel 20 and being provided with laterally outturned marginal flanges 28 (Figs. 7-9). The stem portion 27 is of similar cross-sectional configuration 'ice except that it is wider than the individual legs 26. The end of portion 27 has a recess 29 provided with a narrow marginal flange 30 (Figs. 6 and 14) which is directed toward panel 20.

The ends of legs 26 are widened at 31 and have the flanges 28 further reinforced by reversely bent flanges 32, 33. A reinforcing bracket 34 is secured to the bottom of each widened portion 31 and forms a support for a hinge (not shown) by which the lid is to be journalled to its supporting structure.

Upon assembly of member 25 with outer panel 20, flanges 33 fit from the inside against flange 22 of the outer panel at the corners of the latter and are secured to them, preferably by spot welding.

Member 25 is T-shaped in plan view, having a stem 35 and a cross member 36. Stem 35 has a bottom wall 37, outwardly directed walls 38, and marginal flanges 39. Walls 38 and flanges 39 extend continuously around the sides and the free end of stem 35 (Figs. 1-3, 6, and 14). Bottom wall 37 is provided with a large opening 40, which is flanged at 41 for reinforcing purposes.

Cross member 36 is generally of channelor hat-section with laterally directed marginal flanges 42, 43. Flanges 42 with the adjoining wall 44 merge into the flanges 39 and walls 33 of the stem. Flange 43 is continued by reverse flange 45 which in final assembly engages from the inturned flange 22 of outer panel 20 along bottom margin and corners of the latter and is secured to it, such as by spot welding. I i l Member 25 reinforces the panel in the attachment zone of lock, back light, and license-plate support (all not shown) and is provided appropriate holes and attachment surfaces.

On account of the two-piece construction of the reinforcement, the two pieces may separately be slid with their ends 31 and cross member 36 under the reverse flanges 22 of the outer panel, whereupon they are connected with each other in the region where their stems 27, 35 overlap each other by their bottom and side walls. The connection is made by spot welds in reaching With the welding tools through opening 40 :and cut-out or recess 29 (Figs. l-3, 6, and 14).

While connecting members 24, 25 with each other, a

certain amount of pressure may be exerted, forcing the two members away from each other so as to pro-stress the structure and in order to obtain a firm pressure between'members 24, 25 and pads 46 of sound-deadening material. Pads 46 may consist of asphalt impregnated felt paper or of rubberized fabric. The pre-stressingadds to the rigidity of the lid, and the firm engagement in thezones of the pads 46 increases the resistance of the lid against having its middle portionpushed in. In other regions there may be a small space between the inside of panel 2% and the reinforcing structures 24, 25 as shown in Figs. 7, 9, and 11.

So as to reduce the total amount of sheet stock required for making the wishbone reinforcement, its two members 24, 25 are blanked out in nested arrangement. This is diagrammatically shown in Fig. 15, in which 47 is a length of sheet stock and 48, 49 are, respectively, the holes left by cut-out pieces 24, 25.

The trunk lid illustrated in Figs. 16 and. 17 has a sheet metal outer panel 545 provided with inturned marginal flange 51 and a return flange 52. The wishbone reinforcement 53 consists of a one-piece die casting, the stem and legs of which may have a similar configuration as in the first embodiment. The ends 54 of the wishbone legs and the cross member 55 have an outwardly offset portion 56 and an inturned marginal flange 57. This flange is provided with a number of peg-like projections or studs 58 which upon assern ly with the outer panel 50 project through holes in flanges 51. Studs 58 are then headed at 59 over the outside of flange 51, thereby providing a rivet connection between panel 50 and wishbone 53. This type of connection is more fully disclosed and forms the subject matter of applicants application on Means for and Method of Connecting a Die Casting with an Adjoining Member, Serial No. 236,184, filed simultaneously herewith on July 11, 1951.

Hinge members indicated in section as 60 in Fig. 16 may be cast in one piece with the remainder of the wishbone 3.

In addition to the previously outlined advantages of the new construction, it has the further advantage that it permits easy repair of damaged lids due to the fact that the greater part of the outer panel is accessible from both sides for straightening tools.

The invention is not restricted to the illustrated embodiments but is susceptible to modifications and to adaptations, which will occur to those skilled in the art, without departing from the basic concept of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Cover member, particularly trunk lid for automobile bodies, mainly consisting of an outer panel and an inner reinforcement; said outer panel having generally quadrilateral shape; said inner reinforcement having the general shape of a Y, the two legs of the Y extending to the ends of one margin and the stem of the Y to the mid region of the opposite margin of said panel on the inside thereof; said panel and said reinforcement being secured to each other.

2. Cover member, particularly trunk lid for automobile bodies, comprising an outer panel and an inner reinforcement; said outer panel having generally quadrilateral shape; said inner reinforcement having the general shape of a Y, the two legs of the Y extending to the ends of one margin and the stem of the Y to the mid-region of the opposite margin of said panel on the inside thereof, the ends of said legs being widened to provide attachment zones for hinges; said panel and said reinforcement being secured to each other.

3. Cover member, particularly trunk lid for automobile bodies, mainly consisting of an outer panel and an inner reinforcement; said outer panel having generally quadrilateral shape and being reinforced by angle-section marginal flanges; said inner reinforcement having the general shape of a Y, the two legs of the Y extending to the ends of one margin and the stem of the Y to the mid-region of the opposite margin of said panel on the inside thereof; the reinforcement being likewise provided with marginal angle-section flanges nesting in said flanges of the outer panel; said panel and said reinforcement being secured to each other in the regions of overlap of their said flanges.

4. Cover member, particularly trunk lid for automobile bodies, mainly consisting of an outer panel and an inner reinforcement; said outer panel having generally quadrilateral shape; said inner reinforcement having the general shape of a Y, the two legs of the Y extending to the ends of one margin and the stem of the Y to the midregion of the opposite margin of said panel on the inside thereof, said stem being provided with a cross member extending along said opposite margin; said panel and said reinforcement being secured to each other along said marginal regions.

5. Cover member, such as trunk lid for automobiles, mainly consisting of an outer panel and an inner rein- V forcement, said inner reinforcement having the general shape of a Y, the two legs of the Y extending to one side of the lid and near to adjacent corners thereof, the stem of the Y extending to the mid-region of the opposite side of the lid and comprising a cross member extending over the length, said last-named side including the adjoining corners thereof.

6. Cover member, such as trunk lid for automobiles, comprising an outer panel and an inner reinforcement, said inner reinforcement having the general shape of a Y, the two legs of the Y extending to two corners of the lid designed for hinge attachment, while the stem is located in a lock attachment region, said inner reinforcement consisting of two separately manufactured pieces, the first piece comprising the legs and part of the stem of the Y, and the other piece comprising the remainder of the stem, said pieces being connected with each other upon final assembly with the outer panel in imparting a pre-stress to said outer panel.

7. Cover member, such as trunk lid for automobiles, comprising an outer panel and an inner reinforcement, said inner reinforcement having the general shape of a Y, the two legs of the Y extending to two corners and the stem to the mid-regionof the opposite margin of the outer panel, said inner reinforcement consisting of two separately manufactured pieces, the first piece comprising the legs and part of the stern of the Y, and the other piece comprising the remainder of the stem, said stem 7 portion surrounding an opening permitting the entry of References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,091,608 Welch Mar. 31, 1914 1,757,194 Howe May 6, 1930 1,767,703 Rusch June 24, 1930 1,807,298 Marshall May 26, 1931 2,125,761 Westrope et al Aug. 2, 1938 2,213,010 McPherson Aug. 27, 1940 2,319,982 Fralinger May 25, 1943 

